The Murdoch media is covering the return of David Hicks as if they are employed by the Howard government. Ooops – they are – well sort of, they all work for Murdoch. Anyway… The Herald Sun is all upset that Hicks, ‘a confessed terrorist’ (which he never confessed to) traveled first class from Guantanamo Bay.

While 80% of “The Age” readers in an opinion poll today say David Hicks is no threat, the front page of the Herald Sun read:

They (The Age) also featured an opinion piece by Tim McCormack, who, according to the footer of the article: is the Australian Red Cross professor of international humanitarian law at the Melbourne Law School. He attended the proceedings against David Hicks in Cuba in March as an adviser to the defence team on law-of-war issues.

Palmerston North, the town where I grew up in New Zealand has named a compost dump after John Cleese in retaliation for Cleese calling Palmerston North the “suicide capital of New Zealand”. I can tell you right now, that is not true. The suicide capital of New Zealand, at least when I was there, is Hamilton, because of its heat an humidity which drives people nuts. Anyway.. according to this news artcile in The Age: Kiwis dump on Cleese:

“Mt Cleese, Alt.45.2m a.s.l.”(above sea level) reads the sign posted on the rubbish tip at suburban Awapuni, which is being turned into a compost dump, the city’s “Evening Standard” reported.The sign notes that it was named by New Zealand comic Fred Dagg, the alter ego of John Clarke (yes he is a Kiwi, not an Aussie), who was born in Palmerston North, after Cleese dubbed it one of the world’s most boring cities when he toured New Zealand in November 2005.

At the time, Clarke suggested the local dump be renamed the “John Cleese Memorial Tip – All manner of crap happily recycled”.

Contractor Roy Harding, who erected the sign, told the paper: “It’s just to get back at him. Most people seem to be quite happy about it”.